Volleyball: A banner weekend for area teams

Looks like Greater San Antonio Area teams are picking up right where they left off last year.

In grabbing the statewide spotlight during the 2008 season, area teams won four tournament championships, including two of the state’s most prestigious events — Reagan at the 76-team Pearland Classic, and Churchill at the Fraulein Volleyfest in New Braunfels.

Reagan, paced by MVP Kayla Keller and all-tournament selections Kacy Griffin and Preslie Alexander, won the second annual Round Rock Westwood Invitational — an event that expanded to 36 teams this year, and appears on course to become one of the state’s top tournaments.

Elsewhere, O’Connor won its third straight Northside ISD championship behind the play of MVP Dominique Gonzalez, Beth Soukup (best hitter), Sarah Cardenas (best setter) and Kaelen Valdez (all-tournament). The Panthers defeated District 28-5A rival Clark in the final. TAPPS Incarnate Word finished third, with its lone loss coming to O’Connor in the semifinals.

Steele, led by MVP McKenzie Adams and all-tournament selections Whitley Bradley and Jacklynn Glunt, won the Wagner tournament. District rivals Clemens captured the championship of the Harlandale tournament behind the efforts of Ashley Leverich and Victoria Perkins, and Alamo Heights won the title at its own event, beating Stevens in the final.

Around the area, Stockdale won the championship of its own title, outlasting George West in five games in the final.